Clothes washing machine having a wobble-type agitator



G. C. FIELDS spf. s, 1959 CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE HAVING A woBBLE-TYPEAGIIATOR I Filed Dec.

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United States Patent() CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE HAVING A WOBBLE-TYPEAGITATOR George C. Fields, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to PhilcoCorporation, vPhiladelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication December 12, 1957, Serial No. 702,362

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 68-131) This invention relates to domestic appliancesand more particularly to improvements in wobble type washing machines.In washing machines generally, it is necessary, in order to accomplisheffective washing, to impart vigorous laundering movements to theclothes being washed, a requirement which may result, in the case ofconventional wobble type washers, in covering of the agitator by theclothes being washed and consequent smothering of the washing action. Inthe case of wobble type machines, the washing action is accomplished byfreely journalling an agitator of suitable configuration, on anobliquely disposed member,such las an inclined bearing, coupled to arotatable `drive shaft, the agitator being held in fixed, fluid-tight(relation with the tub by a flexible interconnecting boot. .Continuous.unidirectional rotation of the drive shaft, acting through thiseccentric, imparts a tilting or wobbling motion to the agitator,producing circulation of the washing uid and causing articles beingwashed to be brought .-in'to intimate contact with the turbulent streamsof water generated by the moving members.

Washers of the above mentioned type otter a number of 'advantages overmore conventional machines in that the need for a complex and expensivetransmission is eliminated, making for a less expensive and more easilymaintained unit. Moreover, this type of washing action 'results' inuniform loading of the drive motor since the lloaddoes not varycyclically, as in the more conventional rtypesmachines.' However,notwithstanding the advantages potentially accruing through the use ofsuch machines their use to date has been minimal.

One reason for this is that normal operation, as mentioned above,results in smothering of the agitator action yby thel articles beingwashed, this being brought about fbyenvelo'pment or covering of theagitating means by the clothes, a condition which is particularly severewhen .washing articles of substantial size, such as shirts, towels, andthe like. Moreover, once agitating action is suppressed, those clothesin direct contact with the agitator undergo excessive mechanical wear,often resulting in substantial damage to the articles being washed.

l. These enumerated deficiencies more than offset the 'advantagespotentially attainable, and have minimized commercial acceptance ofwobble type washing machines.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide awobble type lwashing machine having an improved vagitator mechanismwhich eliminates the shortcomings -of prior art devices.

{fl-Another and more particular object of the present in# vention'ds--toprovide mechanism for use in wobble type washers. -insuring adequatetumbling and mixing of the clothes load, and one which preventssmothering of the g ,y

agitating action by the articles being washed. It'isla still furtherobject of this invention to provide for. improved agitating actionwherein compacting, knotting-land entanglement of clothes during washingare substantially eliminated.

The above mentioned and other objects within con- Patented Sept. 8, 1959templation will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying detailed description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a cut-away perspective view showing a wobble plate typewashing machine embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectionalized elevation of theV agitator mechanism shownin Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a graphic representation of the agitator action.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 shows a wobble type washing machineincluding an outer casing or cabinet 10 housing a fixed tub 11, thislatter member forming an enclosure for the dual walled rotatablecylinder or wash tub 12 which member is of cylindrical shape withinclined walls expanding to increased cross-sectional area at the topand having an inwardly extending peripheral wall portion 13 preventingescape of clothing over the top edge of the wash tub. The clothescylinder 12 is comprised of a foraminous inner porcelain shell 14 backedby a spaced imperforate casing 15, the perforate shell 14 per mittingsediment heavier than water to pass behind the clothes and through thespace 16 between members. This arrangement permits sediment to drainfrom the top edge of the cylinder without redepositing on the articlesduring the extraction operation. The series of elongated slots 17located around the inwardly extending wall portion 13l permit theincoming water to overflow the clothes cylinder and provide escape meansfor the extracted water.

Referring to Figure 2, the clothes cylinder 12 conveniently, althoughnot necessarily, contains a depressed bottom portion 18 provided with acentrally disposed aperture 19 through which the drive shaft 20 extends.This shaft terminates in an obliquely mounted crank 21 to which it isrigidly secured in driving relation by pin 22. The crank 21 is rotatablyjournalled on the inner race of bearing 23 seated within drive hub 24which member is securely mounted to the casing 15 as by the cap screwsshown.

To provide the characteristic wobble action, a ball bearing 25 isinterposed between the crank 21 and the agitator support 26, forming amount for the entire agitator assembly. This arrangement, on rotation ofshaft 20, produces oscillatory or gyrating vrotation of the crank 21which in turn imparts a progressive, substantially non-rotative seesawor wobbling motion to the agitator assembly mounted on support 26.

Rigidly secured to this support by conventional means not shown, is theagitator base plate 27, this member being maintained in fluid tightrelation with the casing 15, as by means of the interconnecting flexiblediaphragm 28, which also serves to prevent relative rotation between tuband agitator. Sandwiched between spacer plate 29 and the retaining plate30 is the exible flipper 31, this entire subassembly being secured tothe agitator base plate 27 for wobbling movement therewith. Mounted tothe retaining plate 30 and completing the agitator assembly is thepedestal 32 which has clamped to its convoluted upper surface the eXibleagitator disc 33. This disc may be pre-formed or may be simply a at,exible annulus which is made to conform to the configuration of thesurface to which it is mounted by means of an appropriately shapedretaining cap 33a, the unique convoluted configuration of the discfunctioning in a manner to be' described.

To insure effective operation of the agitator assembly, it is necessaryto provide means preventing smothering of the agitating action by theclothes being washed. This is desirably accomplished, as shown in theillustrated embodiment, by providing a generally vertically disposed,upwardly extending column 34, which physically prevents clothes fromcovering the agitator assembly. To prevent interference with normal'agitator action, it is necessary that the motion of this column bedistinct from that of the agitator assembly, it being found thatmovement of a column rigidly mounted to the agitator tends to set upcurrents' counter to that produced by the agitator as'- sembly, thegyratory movements of such a column producing circulating currents lyingin planes transverse the path of normal clothes circulation whichcurrents act to nullify the main washing action materially impairingwashing efficiency.

The unique arrangement shown in Figure 2, constituting a preferredembodiment of the present invention, 4provides a solution to the aboveproblem and comprises effectively extending the drive shaft 20, by meansof shaft 35,. through a centrally located aperture in the agitatorassembly, one end of the shaft 35 being seated. within the crank 21 andrigidly secured thereto by pin 36.

To prevent knotting and entanglement of the wash clothes by the rotatingshaft. 35, a condition which interferes with effective washing, a casingor hollow column 34 is freely journalled on shaft 35, this beingpreferably accomplished by slipping a sleeve 37 over shaft 35, the lowerend of the sleeve being retained within the collar 38,` the arrangementforming a universal coupling rigidly secured to the agitator assembly.Fixedly positioned on the opposite end of the sleeveg37 is theexternally threaded collar 39. Screwed to this collar and freelyjournalled on agitator shaft 35y for substantially frictionlessengagement therewith is the column 34, the seal or boot 40` servingflexibly to anchor the column 34 inl fluid tight relation to thevagitator assembly and to prevent substantial rotation of its surfacerelative to the agitator, due to frictional drag of the rotating shaft35.

The column 34 is preferably inclined to. the vertical, in thel mannerillustrated, in order to minimize flexure. of seal 40 during movementof. the. agitator and to provide for increasing gyration of the lowerportions of the column. 34 about the vertical. axis 41. in. order tourge clothes tending to accumulate in this. zone into the main streamof. circulating clothes.

The. preferred arrangement is to bring the center of the top of column3.4 into coincidence with. the axis 41 about which the wash tub l2rotates thereby eliminating, for all practical purposes, any perceptiblewobbling of the upper portion of the column during rotation of shaft 35,and thereby preventing any stirring action from being set up by theupper portion of column 34 which would tend to nullify normal clothescirculation. The height of the column is chosen to prevent covering ofthe agitator by the clothes, effective performance under all conditionof operation being insured by positioning the top of column 34 in aplane substantially coincident with the surface level of the wash water.

As stated above, operation of conventional wobble type washersinherently results in clothes enganglement, the substantiallycontinuous, uniform washing action of the agitator serving to roll theclothes up into tightly compacted braids, an occurrence commonlyreferred to as doughnutting To overcome this particular diiculty thefiipper 33 is corrugated so as to provide a series of pockets 42, theembodiment shown conveniently employing three such pockets, the specificconfiguration being merely illustrative of this aspect of the inventionand in no way limitative thereof. This unique configuration serves tobreak up the continuous uniform washing action characteristic ofconventional type washers producing a washing action comprised of asequence o-f discrete spaced pulsations, the pockets 42 producingnon-continuous, progressive localized disturbance of the wash water,effectively preventing roll up of the clothes. The amount of waterdisplace during each pulsation and the number of pulsations per cycle isreadily varied by simply modifying the number and shape of thecorrugations. This technique tends to confine the washing action todiscrete zones providing effective clothes. agitation while matei riallyminimizing clothes entaglement.. l

clothes circulation, the rubber flipper 31 1s provided, this y Toaugment member serving to urge the clothes and water disposed in thebottom of the tub up into the continuously circulating main stream ofclothes and water.

Briefly reviewed, operation of the agitator is initiated by rotation ofshaft 20. This shaft, acting through the crank 2l and shaft 35 causesportions of the agitator and column to execute, the movements(graphically shown in Figure 3) in rotary progression, the linerepresentations shown in this figure being numbered in accordance withthe members represented, with the' exception of line 44 which representsthe longitudinal axis of column 34'. Extreme positions of the membersare also shown in phantom in Figure 2. Each point of the agitatorprogressively undergoes an oscillating undulatory motion, whilesirnultaneously and in predetermined synchronism therewith column 34,impelled by movement of shaft 35, gyrates about the nodal point 43, thepoint at which the-longituinal axis 44 of the column` 34 intersects theprincipal axis of rotation 41, the axis of column 34 generating animaginary cone having its apex at 43. Thispreferred arrangement permitsthe columnA and agitator to be individually driven by common drivemeans, a technique insuring proper correlativo functioning. The heightof column 34, relative to the level of the wash water is shown generallyby line. 45, this'v being its desired eleva;- tion for most effectiveoperation..

Apparatus of the kind described above, has proven highly effective inachieving the advantages. inherent in wobble. type machines, while yet'entirely e'lirriina'tingl the ditiiculty and disadvantages. heretoforeencountered. While the optimum construction of such a machine,` and themanner in which itsv benefits may be achieved, will be well understoodby the preceding description, a complete understanding of the inventionfacilitated by additional brief` considerationV of the pattern: ofcirculatory movement defined by the clothes and washing, liquid, andwith particular respect to elimination of. smothen'ng; of. the agitator.

Although I do not wish tol limit the inventionl by any particular theoryof operation, it is in order to point out that they construction andrelative arrangement of the agitator and column are preferably arrangedtoy produce the following cyclic movements. Consideringany verticalplane passing through the axis, defined generally by' the shafts 20 and35, it will be seen. that maximum lateral excursion of the lowerportions of column 34 (to one side of said axis) takes place. whenthewobbleA plate assembly achieves its lowermost position in substantially'the same vertical plane and to the same side of the axis. rPhecoordinated movements of the column andv agitator assembly take placeprogressivelyand the plane of reference is displaced angularly from theposition originally considered. and in cyclic fashion. The result isthat When the water and entrained clothes receive their maximum impulsein a downward direction, that is, when a given section of the agitatorassembly reaches its lowermost position, the column has reached itsmaximum gyratory excursion in the same plane of reference urgingvclothes outwardly of the post and into the main circulating stream,thereby still further insuring effective washing, and eliminatingsmothering of the agitator action.

While a specific embodiment illustrative of the present invention hasbeen depicted and described modifications may be made therein without`departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It willbe understood, therefore, that. such changes and modificationsV arecontemplated as. come within the scoped of. the. appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, the combination: comprising: a clothes tubhaving' an apertured bottom; a? wobble. type agitator mounted withinsaidtub; columnar means: articulately linked to said agitator andextending; ina generally vertical direction and preventing covering ofsaid agitator by clothes being Washed, said columnar means having anupper portion centered on the tub axis and lower portions disposedeccentrically thereto; and rotatable drive means extending through saidaperture and adapted concurrently to produce distinct but cyclicallyrelated gyratoiy motion of said columnar means about said axis andwobbling movement of said agitator between planes transverse said axls.

2. In a washing machine, the combination comprising: a clothes receivingtub; a wobble type agitator mounted in said tub; llexible means sealingsaid agitator to said tub and preventing relative rotative movementstherebetween; means including a drive shaft extending into said tub forimparting wobbling movements to said agitator; columnar meansarticulately connected to said agitator to accommodate individual anddistinct movements of said agitator and columnar means; and means forimparting gyratory, substantially non-rotative movement to said columnarmeans in such manner that lower portions thereof de scribe an arc aboutsaid axis and an upper portion thereof lies substantially on said axiswhich movement is distinct from but cyclically related to the movementof said agitator means.

3. A combination in accordance with claim 2, and in which said columnarmeans has an elevation within said tub substantially equal to the normallevel of wash water.

4. In a washing machine, a clothes-receiving tub, a wobble type agitatormounted within said tub, exible sealing means connecting said agitatorand tub in uid tight relation, drive means for imparting wobblingmovement to said agitator, columnar means extending from said agitatorin a generally vertical direction and substantially preventingenvelopment of said agitator by articles being washed, said columnarmeans being articulately linked to said agitator and mounted forsubstantially nonrotative gyratory movement distinct from but cyclicallyrelated to the wobbling movement of said agitator, and means forimparting such gyratory movement to said columnar means.

5. A washin7 machine, comprising: a clothes-receiving basket; drivemeans mounted concentrically With respect to said basket and having oneend thereof extending into the lower portion of said basket, said endbeing provided with a crank portion inclined with respect to theVertical; agitator means journalled on said crank portion and fastenedand sealed to said basket through the agency of a llexible memberpreventing rotative movement of said agitator relative to said basketwhile accommodating wobbling motion thereof relative to said basket,means for rotating said drive means to effect driving movement of saidcrank portion and consequent wobbling of said agitator; columnar meansarticulately linked to said agitator and extending upwardly therefrom ina direction generally coinciding with the axis of said tub; and meansfor imparting gyratory, substantially non-rotative movement to saidupwardly extending means distinct from but cyclically related to thewobbling motion imparted to said agitator means.

6. ln a washing machine, the combination comprising: a vertical axisclothes tub having an apertured bottom; a wobble type agitator mountedwithin said tub; columnar means associated with said agitator, extendingthereabove, and preventing covering of said agitator by clothes beingwashed; and rotatable drive means extending through said aperture andadapted concurrently to produce gyratory motion of said columnar meansabout a nodal point lying on said axis and adjacent upper end portionsof said columnar means, and wobbling movement of said agitator aboutsaid axis.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,145,453 Miner Jan. 31, 1939 2,695,510 clark Nov. 3o, 1954 2,715,826Kirby Aug. 23, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 236,083 switzerland Feb. 2, 1953

